Swing by the national park and help with the post-summer spiffy-up.

Published Sep 19, 2016 at 8:19 AM

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Volunteers will gather to lend Yosemite National Park some love (and some elbow grease) from Sept. 20 through 25, 2016. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

SPRING CLEANING, that roll-up-the-sleeves, dig-down-into-the-drawers event, doesn't have an exact autumn equivalent. For sure, we'll stock up on pencils and backpacks around fall, or rather a few weeks before fall's official kick-off, but as far as organizing the cupboards goes, or washing all of the rugs, well, that just isn't something that's widely done come September. But one place that might benefit from a spiffy-up come the early autumn is a national park. After all, our most beloved wild spaces are visited again and again (and again) but multitudes of enthusiastic visitors, with the warmer peak months seeing plenty of people calling upon the places depicted in postcards and calendars. That's where the Yosemite Facelift, which is organized by The Yosemite Climbing Association, comes in. The September to-do, which is all about pitching in and collecting some of the leftover detritus of the busy summertime, lasts for six days, with a pair of check-in stations at Yosemite Valley and at the Tuolumne Store. The 13th annual...

"VOLUNTEER PARK-WIDE CLEANUP"... is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 20 through Sunday, Sept. 25, and "trash bags, litter sticks, and safety vests" are provided. You'll need to register, and look over the roster, and do keep in mind there are evening programs at the Auditorium (if that rings your personal bell). Think of it as giving this waterfall-lovely, granite-gorgeous treasure some love before the leaves begin to go golden and the first snowflakes fall. It's a way to do a bit of spring cleaning, post-summer, right when a national park has seen some of its bustle-iest stretches. Can't join the Yosemite Facelift in 2016? There are other programs at Yosemite and all our national parks during the year that spotlight volunteer efforts, with some clean-up involved. Call it a thoughtful way to give back, get some sunshine, and meet people who adore these epic locations, too.